A blog about American History, and the development of a great Nation

For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.

Statement of the Armstrong Family

The first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, died today at 82. He served as a naval fighter pilot in Korea, flying 78 combat missions. A test pilot after the war, his feats in that field were legendary, combining strong engineering ability, cold courage and preternatural flight skills. He was accepted into the astronaut program in 1962. On July 16, 1969, in the middle of the night in Central Illinois, he set foot on the moon. My father and I, like most of the country, were riveted to the television screen as we watched a turning point in the history of humanity. He intended to say, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” It came out: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Godspeed Mr. Armstrong on the journey you have just embarked upon.

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6 Comments

On August 26, 2012 at 3:22 am Fabio P.Barbieri said:

A precise and perceptive report, from a man who evidently never gave voice to a word he did not mean and understand. And how nice that the interviewer, Patrick Moore, is a real astronomer and someone who actually understands what he is talking about.

On August 26, 2012 at 4:59 am Donald R. McClarey said:

Fabio, Neil Armstrong was the incarnation of the “just the facts, ma’am” generation so well portrayed by Jack Webb as Joe Friday in the old series Dragnet. Men of my late father’s generation had tons of guys like this. I miss them.